Homebrew competition help

[worm2500]

I am thinking about entering a homebrew competition at one of those beer festivals that seem to be poping up everywhere. The rules are simple. bring 2 cornys of your best beer. The patrons will vote for their favorite. The beer with the most votes wins. My concerns are:

Will this turn into a popularity contest. Where the brewer with the most friends wins?

I've always brewed beer I liked and not really cared about what the populous enjoys. I assume because they are attending a beer tasting they have some desire to taste craft beer, and not watered down light lager. But who knows.

Basically I just need help deciding what to brew. It will be difficult with the open format. I might have a super hoppy ipa right next to a brewer who brought a imperial stout. And then making the patron vote one or the other. That's insane.

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Personally I would never brew 10 gal for a competition. Maybe I'm cheap and stingy but damn that's a lot of homebrew for a "competition".

 

[Erik_Mog]

Sounds like a good way to throw a block party and not have to buy the beer for it, LOL

 

[Amadeo38]

If you brewed 10 gallons of beer, kegged it, and invited everyone you knew to your house/apartment, I guarantee you would win the most votes. Hands down. Best part is that all of your friends and friend's friends get to drink for free, not a bunch of strangers.

 

[treacheroustexan]

If you don't mind posting a link to the competition could you? 2 cornys definitely seems like a lot.

 

[Staylow]

I'm doing one of those types of comps this weekend, and I'm taking two cornys as well. 8 homebrewers and 8 pro brewers, in two comps. One decided by judges, and the other is peoples choice. I'm pretty stoked to face off against pro brewers. Probably wouldn't have done it otherwise.

 

[worm2500]

The festival is called the Whitestown Brew Fest. and the competition is hosted by Indiana On Tap. I know it is a lot of beer and most people wouldn't spend that kind of money to give it away to strangers. But try to forget all that. Try to imagine you are entering a similar competition, and tell me how to decide on a style to brew. I need something that stands out.

 

[m00ps]

I actually have been in contact with one of the breweries that helped organize that. They were interested in having me enter after trying a lot of my beers at a competition. I though a lot about it, didnt want to let them down and miss a chance to collaborate, but it wasnt worth it IMO.

I would have to brew 2 batches and not really even get to taste the final product. Plus i'd have to borrow a jockeybox and blah blah blah. Its bad enough I had to waste the last few sours (one of the best ones id made at that point) on a bunch of "judges" that didnt even appreciate sour beer in the last competition I did. Brew scene is still growing here and they just grouped Belgian, French, Belgian Strong, adn Sour ales into a single category. Such BS. I had nine beers that ended up in a single dumb category

That being said, brew a saison. Barely any breweries around this area even have it on their radar. That, or a gose

 

[Redlantern]

sounds like a good way to throw a block party and not have to buy the beer for it, lol

+1

 

[worm2500]

Thanks, I like the Saison idea. Anyone Else??

 

[jekeane]

I have done several popular vote keg competitions. I have never seen 10g entry size but perhaps they have tons of people or aren't using 2oz sample cups...

The key to popular vote comps are approachable flavorful beers. So a well done fruit beer, a hoppy (not bitter) blonde, a saison is a great beer but will alienate a lot of non Belgian drinkers. Craft beer drinkers often don't have as diverse palettes as you would think. 2/3rds of my homebrew club orders whatever beer has the most hops in it every club meeting for example.

 

[worm2500]

I recently got an email that changes the rule from 10 gallons down to 5 gallons. I guess enough people had issues with 10 gallons. LOL

 

[kombat]

Is this serious? Is that not a typo? Is it seriously 2 cornies and not 2 growlers?

If that's accurate, then there's no way in hell I'd enter such a "competition." Sounds to me like the organizers want tons of beer flowing to draw in the patrons, but don't want to pay for it. So they invite people to bring their own beer and give it away, under the guise of an ill-defined "competition." Pretty sweet deal for the organizers and patrons, not so much for the "contestants." Pass.

 

[JimRausch]

You know, if I were in that situation, I would probably brew whatever I considered to be my best effort, and to heck with the mass public. In other words, brew what you like to drink, for you can't be the only one that likes it, right? Good Luck!

 

[bonecitybrewco]

Is this serious? Is that not a typo? Is it seriously 2 cornies and not 2 growlers?

If that's accurate, then there's no way in hell I'd enter such a "competition." Sounds to me like the organizers want tons of beer flowing to draw in the patrons, but don't want to pay for it. So they invite people to bring their own beer and give it away, under the guise of an ill-defined "competition." Pretty sweet deal for the organizers and patrons, not so much for the "contestants." Pass.

Pretty much took the thoughts out of my head.

 

[Albionwood]

"The patrons will vote for their favorite. The beer with the most votes wins. My concerns are:

Will this turn into a popularity contest."

Yes, of course - it was designed to be one from the start.
It's not really a competition, you aren't going to get useful feedback, you're just going to provide beer so the organizers can throw a big party.

As to the choice of style to brew for such a contest: What's the most popular beer style? Why would you expect anything else to win a popularity contest? Brew the hoppiest IPA you can manage.